Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Builders of China's fast-growing bullet train network conducted a test run of its showcase Beijing-to-Shanghai line Monday amid controversy over the prestige project's high cost.
A train carrying government officials, managers of the companies that built the line and reporters left Beijing for the 1,318-kilometer (824-mile) trip. It was due to take about five hours, or half the time of conventional rail.
The communist government is building thousands of miles (kilometers) of high-speed rail to link together China's far-flung regions and show off its rising wealth and technological prowess.

The multibillion-dollar plan has provoked complaints that it is too expensive for a country where millions of people still live in poverty. The government announced in April the top speed of the fastest lines would be reduced from 350 kph (220 mph) to 300 kph (190 mph) and ticket prices would be cut.
Official plans call for the network to expand to 8,000 miles (13,000 kilometers) of track this year and 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) by 2020.
China's trains are based on Japanese, French and German technology but its manufacturers are trying to sell to Latin America and the Middle East. That has prompted complaints Beijing is violating the spirit of licenses with foreign providers by reselling technology that was meant to be used only in China.

Monday's test run comes ahead of celebrations of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party on July 1.
In a statement, the Ministry of Railways said it made extensive preparations for safety and security. They include plans for daily inspections of tracks and other facilities and an earthquake monitoring system.
The Beijing-Shanghai line crosses seven provinces that include some of China's most densely populated and economically developed areas.
The railway ministry says the line will run 63 pairs of trains a day at 300 kph (190 mph) and 27 at 250 kph (155 mph). Ticket prices range from 1,750 yuan ($269) for a business class seat on the fastest train to 410 yuan ($63) for second-class on slower trains.

Government plans call for spending 700 billion yuan ($106 billion) on railway building this year. The railway ministry says the Beijing-Shanghai line cost 215 billion yuan ($32.5 billion).
Critics say railway officials have diverted too much money to high-speed rail and should be expanding lower-cost traditional rail.
During the Lunar New Year holiday in February, working class travelers complained they couldn't afford high-speed tickets and regular trains were sold out. A migrant worker became an Internet sensation when he stripped to his underwear to protest outside a ticket office after he waited 14 hours in line but couldn't get tickets for his family.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection said earlier this year that construction of one line and operation of another already completed, both in China's east, must stop until they receive environmental approval.

Unwanted calls and messages from telemarketers might end soon after the legislation of a new measure from TRAI and the Indian Department of Telecom enforcing the Do-Not-Call Registry in India.

The end of unwanted texts and calls from marketing 'executives' might be near.

Last year, TRAI had announced that calling phone numbers registered in the Do-Not-Call Registry (over a 100 million mobile phone users) would invoke a first fine of Rs and up to Rs 2.5 lakh for the sixth offense, after which any failure to comply would lead to a 2 year blacklist.
Previously, penalties stood at Rs 500 and Rs 1000.

This powerful measure had not been legislated, even after 4 (missed) deadlines. Now, according to an official's statement to the Economic Times, this measure might be formally passed by end June.
The new rules will let you screen out all telemarketing calls, while opting to receive SMSs, which can also be filtered by your area of choice, ranging from banking and financial products to real estate, education, health, consumer goods, automobiles, communication, entertainment, tourism nd leisure.
Further, you won't be receiving this text messages at odd hours - the 9PM to 9 AM telemarketing text window will be closed. This will also be applicable to unregistered customers.
The TRAI recently sent a new communication to the Indian Department of Telecom, asking for completion of registering telemarketers with the '140' number series, an easy way to spot unsolicited commercial calls.
However, BSNL is asking for more time (till the end of the calendar year)to upgrade to the new ten-digit numbers starting with 140.
'The delay is due to BSNL - most of their switching infrastructure is old and it will be challenge for them to get it ready to handle the new numbering series on landlines. On the mobile side, the infrastructure is largely in place across all operators," explained Rajan Mathews, who heads the Cellular Operators Association of India, the industry lobby representing all GSM players.
There have also been reports of more powers in curbing erring telemarketers.
Action on spam SMS and telemarketing scenario was held up due to the legal issues between regulators and the Department of Telecom.

Monday, 27 June 2011

It looks like Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne's relationship is back on track as both were spotted dining out in Los Angeles over the weekend. (With Inputs from Agencies)

Their romance was thought to have fizzled out last month after Warne's alleged fling with porn star Chloe Conrad. But it seems things were very much back on as Hurley and the Australian cricketer were spotted dining out in Los Angeles over the weekend.

It was reported that Warne and Hurley's relationship went sour after rumours started making rounds that the 41-year-old cricketer cheated on her with porn star Chloe Conrad. But the recent meeting suggests all is well between them.

45-year-old Hurley, who is in Los Angeles to shoot for 'Wonder Woman' TV series, took some time out to have dinner with Warne at Boa steakhouse in Beverly Hills, over the weekend, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Liz Hurley formally announced her break up with her husband Arun Nayyar. While the lady has not said anything about her outings with Aussie cricketer Shane Warne, we hear that it may be the reason for the official announcement.

Hurley and Nayar married in a civil ceremony at Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, south-west England in 2007 and held a blessing and party at the castle the following night. They then had traditional Indian wedding celebrations at the Mehrangarh fort in Jodhpur.

Hurley and actor Hugh Grant were one of Britain's leading celebrity couples before they split after his arrest in 1995.

Also a model, Hurley was well-known for her daring choice of clothes at various red-carpet events and in 1994 wore a Versace dress held together by safety pins.

As India and Pakistan restored peace talks over pending issues including Kashmir, veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday slammed the country's first political family of late prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru whose 'lack of courage' led to the Kashmir issue remaining unresolved.

In the latest entry on his blog, http://blog.lkadvani.in, the BJP leader also slammed late chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah whose ambition to be the leader of independent Kashmir also contributed to the issue.

Advani said neither the government of Nehru in New Delhi nor the government of Abdullah in Srinagar believed that Jammu and Kashmir needed to be fully integrated into the Indian union.

'In the case of Abdullah, the problem was his ambition to become the unquestioned leader of a virtually independent Kashmir. In the case of Nehruji, it was a matter of lack of courage, firmness and foresight,' Advani said.

He said that Article 370, which gives a special status to Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian constitution, had 'emboldened' secessionist forces in the state to carry out their 'poisonous propaganda that (Kashmir's) accession to India is not final and that Kashmir, in particular, is not a part of India.'

Advani wrote that India had lost two opportunities to settle the issue once and for all with Pakistan -- one in the 1947 war when Nehru ruled the country and the other in the 1971 Bangladesh war when Nerhu's daughter Indira Gandhi was at the helm.

'Our countrymen should know that the Kashmir problem is Nehru family's special 'gift' to the nation,' he wrote in a sarcastic vein.

'Nehruji's blunder was totally avoidable. The consequences of this 'gift' are Pakistan's export of cross-border terrorism and religious extremism, thousands of lives of our security personnel and civilians and tens of thousands of crores of rupees spent on military and paramilitary defence.'

The BJP leader's comments come days after India and Pakistani in foreign secretary level talks in Islamabad discussed a range of issues relating to peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and the promotion of trade.

Advani also warned against giving any autonomy to the state because 'the implications must be understood'.

Cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (R) shakes hands with tennis player Roger Federer on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (R) shakes hands with tennis player Roger Federer on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England..

Cricket player Sachin Tendulkar (R) poses with tennis player Somdev Devvarman on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and wife Anjali look on from the Royal Box prior to the third round match between Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Royal box guest cricket player Sachin Tendulkar attends the third round match between Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Jarmila Gajdosova of Australia on Day Six of the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 25, 2011 in London, England

Former Grand Slam champion Martina Navratilova, center, talks to Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali prior to the match on centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon on June 25, 2011.

It's proven that yoga helps one to stay fit and also enhance beauty. It's a small wonder then that stars embrace yoga with open arms. After Shilpa Shetty,Bipasha Basu and Lara Dutta, we have another Bollywood babe turning into a yoga instructor. If sources are to be believed then hottie Mallika Sherawat is planning to release a fitness DVD in the US soon.